Donald Trump Insists He’s Winning Because The Polls Are ‘Phony’

Donald Trump has claimed he is winning the presidential election, despite strong poll numbers for Hillary Clinton. Trump has attacked public polls for attempting to suppress voter turnout. Trump has still refused to say he will accept the outcome of the election if he loses.

“The truth is that we’re winning,” Trump said this morning, blaming ‘phony polls’ for misrepresenting the state of the race. “I believe we’re winning,” Trump said before claiming the news media were conspiring with the Democrats to skew polling data.

Polls show Trump is well behind nationally. Clinton enjoys between a 9 and 15 point lead nationwide and she is also leading in several key states. In the crucial swing states of Ohio and Florida, the race is extremely tight. Reporters close to the Clinton campaign suggest she is preparing for the transition to the White House and focusing more on helping Democrats in down ballot races than on beating Trump.

Early voting has started in Florida and several other states with early indications positive for Clinton. Women are turning out in higher numbers than usual. Trump is far behind among women voters who could likely swing the election in Clinton’s favor.

Trump’s claim that he is winning and that polls are rigged against him directly contradicts his own campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, who admitted that the campaign is behind. Trump may use his criticism of polls to justify a refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the election.